MOL's first 20,170 TEU containership will commence its maiden voyage

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) yesterday announced that the world's largest containership, MOL Triumph was delivered from Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. on March 27, 2017.

MOL's newest vessel, the first of a fleet of six 20,000 TEU-class containerships for the company, was named MOL Triumph in a ceremony at SHI in South Korea on March 15, 2017. At 400 meters in length and 58.8 meters in width, MOL Triumph is currently the world's largest containership. With a capacity of 20,170 TEU, the vessel is the first 20,000 TEU-class containership deployed in THE Alliance's Asia to Europe trade via the FE2 service.

MOL Triumph will set off on her maiden voyage from Xingang in April 2017 and will sail to Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian and Singapore. She will then transit through the Suez Canal and continue on to Tangier, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Le Havre. She will then call at Tangier and Jebel Ali on the way back to Asia.

Junichiro Ikeda, President and CEO of MOL said, "The MOL Group is honored to unveil this new vessel, which is the largest containership in the world. The vessel is equipped with various new sustainable technologies to provide more efficient fuel consumption and improved environmental performance."

In line with the eco-sailing initiative of MOL, the new 20,000 TEU-class containerships are equipped with various highly advanced energy-saving technologies including low friction underwater paint, high efficiency propeller and rudder, Savor Stator as a stream fin on the hull body, and an optimized fine hull form which together can further reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per container moved by about 25-30% when compared to 14,000 TEU-class containerships. Additionally, the vessel has also been designed with the retrofit option to convert to LNG-fueled ship in view of the implementation of the International Maritime Organization's new regulation to limit SOx emission in marine fuels which will come into effect in 2020.

MOL will take the delivery of the second 20,000 TEU-class vessel in May 2017. Eventually, there will be six of the 20,000 TEU-class containerships unveiled and they will be phased in gradually on the existing trade routes of MOL.